Remember the last time you wasted approximately $252 million at work and got a slap on the wrist? Of course not, because that’s not how the real world works. But, apparently, that is how the government works when Democrats are in charge of the Governor’s Energy Office.

Last week, the Colorado Energy Office (aka the Governor’s Energy Office) released a blistering performance audit showing that mismanagement of funds and programs ran amok in the office. From the audit report:

CEO was unable to demonstrate that $252 million spent over the past six years was spent cost-effectively.

CEO does not calculate or maintain a comprehensive, annual budget or budget-to-actual data for any of the 34 programs administered during Fiscal Years 2007 through 2012. As a result, CEO could not determine the total cost or the total amount spent for any of its programs.

CEO program managers have not been required to manage programs within a budget, though they are responsible for requesting and justifying program expenditures.

Of the eight programs we reviewed in-depth, staff responsible for three programs could not identify the program’s goals or say whether the goals had been achieved.

While the audit report found the oversight issues began with the Ritter administration, the lack of oversight has continued with the Hickenlooper administration, dividing Democrats. Democratic Senator Lucia Guzman warned the Hickenlooper administration in the Durango Herald:

“If I start a job, and I’ve been on it for two years, it seems to me I should have some outcomes giving me reason to continue to be there.”

As a penalty for essentially blowing hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer dollars, freshman Republican Senator Owen Hill yesterday suggested an amendment to the Governor’s Energy Office appropriations bill that would cut its funding by approximately $13.9 million. Unbelievably, the amendment passed with bipartisan support.

Not so fast. Senator Pat Steadman swooped in to rescue the GEO by offering another amendment that would cut the funding of the GEO by a paltry $3.5 million. Let’s just remember this massive boondoggle next time Democrats come begging for a tax increase.

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Follow Colorado Peak Politics

Featured Articles

We know December can be a crazy month, but it looks like former Senate President Morgan Carroll may just be in hiding. Our sources tell us that she’s cancelled three or four of her recent townhalls. We see at least two on her website (see pic). We would think that after the shellacking her party ... ∞

In an interview with Colorado Public Radio, Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper bemoaned the idea that the State of Colorado would have to refund tax dollars to taxpayers as part of the Colorado constitution. From the article: “Hickenlooper says [giving funds back to taxpayers] will mean the state may have to cut some essential services. As ... ∞

What should be the first clue that Sen. Michael Bennet isn’t really one of us? Is it his elitist background? His East Coast childhood? His establishment brother? Or, the fact that Bennet doesn’t even really live in Colorado anymore? Well if you’re The Aurora Sentinel’s local gossiper, you can’t help but call Bennet out on the ... ∞

To say that Oil and Gas Task Force Co-Chair Gwen Lachelt is driving the agenda of the oil and gas task force meetings is an understatement. From our exclusive report showing Lachelt’s frustration with the outpouring of support for the oil and gas industry at the first meeting to rumors of her hand-picking public commentary, it ... ∞

UPDATE: Rep. Dan Nordberg, the author of last year’s audit bill, had this to say in a statement: “With only a limited performance audit, the state auditor found Connect for Health Colorado committed numerous federal law violations, and nearly 40 percent of sampled contracts had problems totaling more than $32 million dollars. “Sadly, I am not ... ∞